15 replies to this topic

[mudderrunner]

K+ supplements in the US only contain up to 99mg per pill or capsule, etc. That's only about 2% of the recommended amount suggested by the IOM. I know that K+ supplements can be dangerous in high amounts but if the authorities only allow 99mg, why even sell a potassium supplement? Seems like a big rip-off to spend so much money on such a negligible product. A medium banana can have up to 5 times as much K+.

[Shepard]

why even sell a potassium supplement?

Because people buy them.

[mudderrunner]

I guess my question is, Is it a completely useless supplement or is it helpful under any particular circumstances?

[edward]

If you are on a low carb diet or some other restrictive diet K+ supps are one of the only options, yes its sad that the dose is so low.

[health_nutty]

If you want to supplement with potassium, most salt substitutes (such as "No Salt") are potassium chloride.

[Shepard]

If you are on a low carb diet or some other restrictive diet K+ supps are one of the only options, yes its sad that the dose is so low.

Anyone that eats various nuts and vegetables shouldn't have any trouble. Even stuff like coconut water, cocoa, V8, etc. have decent amounts of potassium.

[mudderrunner]

and if you're not vegetarian then meat and fish are also good sources

[lynx]

potassium bicarbonate available from wine/ale supply houses is a great morning source and reduces NEA, net endogenous acid.

Estimation of net endogenous noncarbonic acid production in humans from diet potassium and protein contents1-3
Lynda A Frassetto, Karen M Todd, R Curtis Morris Jr, and Anthony Sebastian
ABSTRACT: Normal adult humans eating Western diets have chronic, low-grade metabolic acidosis, the severity of which is determined in part by the net rate of endogenous noncarbonic acid production (NEAP), which varies with diet. To prevent or reverse age-related sequelae of such diet-dependent acidosis (eg, bone and muscle loss), methods are needed for estimating and regulating NEAP. Because NEAP is difficult to measure directly, we sought a simple method to estimate it from diet-composition data. We focused on protein and potassium contents because the production of sulfuric acid from protein metabolism and bicarbonate from dietary potassium salts of organic acids are the major variable components of NEAP. Using steady state renal net acid excretion (RNAE) as an index of NEAP in 141 normal subjects eating 20 different diets, we found by multiple linear regression analysis that RNAE [mEq/d · 10460 kJ diet (mEq/d · 2500 kcal)] was predictable (R2 = 0.62) from protein [g/d · 10460 kJ diet (g/d · 2500 kcal): positive regression coefficient, P < 0.001] and potassium [mEq/d · 10460 kJ diet (mEq/d · 2500 kcal): negative regression coefficient, P = 0.001] contents, which were not themselves correlated. Among diets, 71% of the variation in RNAE could be accounted for by the ratio of protein (Pro) to potassium (K) content: RNAE=62Pro/K - 17.9 (r=0.84,R2=0.71,P < 0.001). Thus, by considering both the acidifying effect of protein and the alkalinizing effect of potassium (organic anions). NEAP can be predicted with confidence from the readily available contents of only 2 nutrients in foods. Provisionally, these findings allow estimation and regulation of NEAP through diet modification. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;68:576-83.

KEY WORDS: Endogenous acid production, renal net acid excretion, potassium, protein, diet, metabolic acidosis

[ajnast4r]

why even sell a potassium supplement?

Because people buy them.

oh god someone pay this man

[stephen_b]

If you are on a low carb diet or some other restrictive diet K+ supps are one of the only options, yes its sad that the dose is so low.

Just 400 mg a day of potassium from potassium gluconate (that's 4 of the 99 mg capsules) has made a world of difference to me. I'm on a somewhat paleo diet and I'm training for a marathon. On days I run 10 mile I sometimes feel low energy and my muscles tight and unresponsive. I had started supplementing magnesium to about 400 mg/day, but I still had the crampy feeling. Adding the potassium gluconate made a bigger difference than I was expecting.

[e Volution]

Just 400 mg a day of potassium from potassium gluconate (that's 4 of the 99 mg capsules) has made a world of difference to me. I'm on a somewhat paleo diet and I'm training for a marathon. On days I run 10 mile I sometimes feel low energy and my muscles tight and unresponsive. I had started supplementing magnesium to about 400 mg/day, but I still had the crampy feeling. Adding the potassium gluconate made a bigger difference than I was expecting.

I also noticed positive benefit from increasing Potassium.

Can anyone shed some light on what is better Potassium Chloride vs Potassium Gluconate? Seems to be the only two Potassium products sold as powders on iherb.

[krillin]

potassium bicarbonate available from wine/ale supply houses is a great morning source and reduces NEA, net endogenous acid.

Potassium citrate can also do that, and with less risk of GI distress.

http://purebulk.com/potassium-citrate

[e Volution]

potassium bicarbonate available from wine/ale supply houses is a great morning source and reduces NEA, net endogenous acid.

Potassium citrate can also do that, and with less risk of GI distress.

http://purebulk.com/potassium-citrate

Thanks, can anyone point me in the direction to where I can get a read up on different mineral forms citrate/bicarbonate/chloride/gluconate/etc? Or do I just need to go back to basic chemistry (I've done Physics and Biology since school but not Chemistry!)?

[stephen_b]

Thanks, can anyone point me in the direction to where I can get a read up on different mineral forms citrate/bicarbonate/chloride/gluconate/etc? Or do I just need to go back to basic chemistry (I've done Physics and Biology since school but not Chemistry!)?

There have been discussions on forms of magnesium and zinc on these forums. For example, I suspect that potassium glycinate would have about the same bioavailability as magnesium glycinate.

[hamishm00]

I take KMag Aspartate daily:

Magnesium (as magnesium aspartate) 225 mg 60%
Potassium (as potassium aspartate) 297 mg 10%
Aspartic Acid (as magnesium & potassium aspartate) 1.36 g

On a low carb diet, I think that extra 10% helps.

[krillin]

Thanks, can anyone point me in the direction to where I can get a read up on different mineral forms citrate/bicarbonate/chloride/gluconate/etc? Or do I just need to go back to basic chemistry (I've done Physics and Biology since school but not Chemistry!)?

Chloride didn't work for BMD in this study, while citrate did. Citrate doesn't work in every study, but I need an extra gram of potassium to meet the RDA so taking it is easy to justify.

J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006 Nov;17(11):3213-22. Epub 2006 Oct 11.
Partial neutralization of the acidogenic Western diet with potassium citrate increases bone mass in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.
Jehle S, Zanetti A, Muser J, Hulter HN, Krapf R.
Department of Medicine, University of Basel, Bruderholz/Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract

Chronic acid loads are an obligate consequence of the high animal/grain protein content of the Western diet. The effect of this diet-induced metabolic acidosis on bone mass is controversial. In a randomized, prospective, controlled, double-blind trial, 161 postmenopausal women (age 58.6 +/- 4.8 yr) with low bone mass (T score -1 to -4) were randomly assigned to 30 mEq of oral potassium (K) citrate (Kcitrate) or 30 mEq of K chloride (KCl) daily. The primary end point was the intergroup difference in mean percentage change in bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine (L2 through L4) after 12 mo. Compared with the women who received KCl, women who received Kcitrate exhibited an intergroup increase in BMD (+/-SE) of 1.87 +/- 0.50% at L2 through L4 (P < 0.001), of 1.39 +/- 0.48% (P < 0.001) at femoral neck, and of 1.98 +/- 0.51% (P < 0.001) at total hip. Significant secondary end point intragroup changes also were found: Kcitrate increased L2 through L4 BMD significantly from baseline at months 3, 9, and 12 and reached a month 12 increase of 0.89 +/- 0.30% (P < 0.05), whereas the KCl arm showed a decreased L2 through L4 BMD by -0.98 +/- 0.38% (P < 0.05), significant only at month 12. Intergroup differences for distal radius and total body were NS. The Kcitrate-treated group demonstrated a sustained and significant reduction in urinary calcium excretion and a significant increase in urinary citrate excretion, with increased citrate excretion indicative of sustained systemic alkalization. Urinary bone resorption marker excretion rates were significantly reduced by Kcitrate, and for deoxypyridinoline, the intergroup difference was significant. Urinary net acid excretion correlated inversely and significantly with the change in BMD in a subset of patients. Large and significant reductions in BP were observed for both K supplements during the entire 12 mo. Bone mass can be increased significantly in postmenopausal women with osteopenia by increasing their daily alkali intake as citrate, and the effect is independent of reported skeletal effects of K.

PMID: 17035614